Advertisers Selling the
Fantasy
We have all see the television commercials that depict
situations and scenarios that are very unrealistic. So go as far as to portray seemingly ordinary
people experiences real life fantasies.
Why is it that this type of advertising has become popular? I argue that it allows the commercials to tap
deep into the viewers subconscious.
Americans are pursuers of choices. We want to always feel like we have options
regarding how we live our lives. This
pursuit of choice in not limited, we want choice in the food we eat, the
clothes we wear, the car we drive, the way we wear our hair, the places we go,
how we spend our time and on and on. The
truth is in actuality, most often times our daily routines limit our choices.
We like to fool ourselves into thinking we still have lots choices. For
example, a guy would to think he can skip work to go hang out and drink beer
with his buddies. The truth of the
matter is he has a wife, kids and a mortgage to tend to. He knows full well that it is really not an
option be he feels better and less confined if he allows himself to believe
that he does not skip work purely by his own choice and not for fear of the
negative consequences that such an action will bring about. Advertisers are keenly aware of this internal
lie we tell ourselves and take full advantage of it. They create advertisements that sell fantasy
and not reality. Take a big heavy duty
truck ad for example. It may sell the
fantasy that person can go haul some God awful amount weight or drive over a mountain. Lots of the people this ad will appeal to
have no intention of ever using the capabilities of the vehicle. They do though
like the idea and the fantasy that if they chose to they could. Another example might be an ad that portrays
a guy that walks into a bar and picks up a super attractive woman because of
some product he buys or uses. The guy
this appeals to may never ever be in that situation, but he likes to think that
is by his choice. The same is true for
women as well.
Most people have a clear and rational understanding of what
constraints their daily lives place on their choices. What they may not be so aware of, is how their
subconscious motivates them to act and purchase in the conscious realm.
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